Means for opening receptacles or cartons



C. BECKMANN. MEANS FOR OPENING BECEPTACLES 0R CARTONS.

PatentdAug. 31,1920. T

- APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15. 1919. 1,351,461.

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Ill s [I vwewto z' 7 C. BECKMANN. MEANS FOR OPENING RECEPTACLES 0R CARTONS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-15, I919.

' Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

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C. BECKMANN. MEANS FOR OPENING RECEPTACLES 0R CARTONS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, I919- Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

C. BECKMANN. MEANS FOR OPENING RECEPTACLES 0R CARTONS.

APPHCATION FILED NOV- I5, 19l9- I I I Patented Aug. 31, 19,20.

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OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A SSIGNOR TO E. D. ANDERSON, INQ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR OPENING RECEPTACLES OR CABTONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 31, 1920.

Application filed November 15, 1919. Serial No. 338,336.

citizen of Germany, and resident of New York city, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Opening Receptacles or Cartons, of which the following is a specification.

1 his invention has for its object to provide simple and efiicient means for opening collapsed receptacles or cartons that are provided with flaps, and the invention is particularly useful in machines having conveyers provided with receivers for receptacles or cartons, and means to supply collapsed receptacles or cartons successively to the conveyer, and having means to charge the receptacles or cartons and close and seal their flaps.

In carrying out the invention I provide means to support receptacles or cartons, an opener to enter the receptacles, and means adjacent to the opener to deflect or spread:- fiaps at one end of the receptacles to permit I operative conveyer having outwardly prothe ready insertion of the opener into the receptacles and the operation of the opener therein to spread or square them in the receivers.

The invention comprises novel details of' improvement that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims. 1

Reference is to be had to the accompanyingvdrawings forming a part hereof wherein, igure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of receptacle supply means, 1

Fig. 3 is a partly sectional plan view illustrating the flap spreaders, the receptacle opener being omitted;

Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the opener, the flap spreaders being omitted;

' Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective illustrating the flap spreaders in cooperation with flaps of the receptacle;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view corresponding to parts of Fig. 5 and showing the opener in association with the flap spreaders and the receptacle;

Fig. 7 is a detail view partly in section illustrating the opener and means for operating it; 1

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view illustrating a receptacle opened in the receiver;

Fig. 9 is a face view of a collapsed receptacle or carton having some of the flaps. shorter than others;

Fig. 10 is a face 'view of a collapsed receptacle or carton havingfiaps of substantially equal length;

Fig. 11 1s a perspective view of said receptacle or carton open;

Fig. 12 is a detail view in perspective illustrating flap spreaders in cooperation with the flaps of a receptacle as in Figs. 10 and 11, and

Fig. 13 is 'a detail perspective view corresponding toparts of Fig. 12 and showing an opener in association with the flap spreaders and the receptacle.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

' While my improvements may be embodied in any suitable or Well known machine in which collapsed receptacles or cartons are supplied to be opened and charged, 1 have illustrated myimprovements in connection with a machine containing a horizontally jecting receivers into which the collapsed re ceptacles or cartons may be fed successively to be opened in the receivers by means of my improvements. The numeral 1 indicates the main frame of the machine which may be of any suitable construction, in which horizontally disposed sprocket wheels, 2, 3 may be journaled near opposite ends of the machine and receive an endless conveyor 4, shown in the form of a chain. The sprocket 2 is carried by a suitable pivot or. shaft journaled in frame 1 near one end, and sprocket 3 is secured upon shaft 5 journaled at the opposite end of the frame to be rotated. step by step to correspondingly operate the conveyer. To operate the conveyer step by ste I have shown shaft 5 provided with a tootlied wheel 6, such as a member of a Geneva movement, cooperative with a projection on the arm 7 carried by shaft 8 journaled in the main frame and provided with a gear 9 in mesh with gear 10 on shaft 11 journaled in the main frame. Said shaft may be driven in any suitable manner, as by means of pulley 12 receiving a belt from a The collapsed receptacles or cartons, which may be' of any ordinary or usual construction, are adapted to be fed success vely 1nto spaced receivers 13shown extending laterally from the conveyer. Suitable means for feeding the receptacles to said receivers will i 13, along which guard the receptacles travel, whereby the receptacles are retamed 1n thereceivers 13 until they reach the delivery ortion of the machine. The guard 16 may he supported upon frame 1 by suitable means, such as posts 17. The aforesaid parts provide supporting means for the receptacles to be opened. At" a suitable position along the conveyer are located flap spreaders 18, 19 in such position, over or opposing the receivers, that when the spreaders are separated the receptacles A may pass therebetween (Fig. 3), and when the spreaders are caused to approach the receptacles in the receivers the spreaders will engage upper flaps of the receptacles A to deflect or spread them in opposite directions. The said spreaders are shown in the form of finger-like members respectively piv0tally supported at 20, 21, upon brackets or supports 22, 23, suitably carried by frame 1, whereby said spreaders may rock, being shown operative in a horizontal position above the receivers 13 of the conveyer to defleet flaps of the receptacles laterally. A rock arm 24, shown plvotally-supported at 25 upon bracket 26 carried by frame 1, is connected to spreaders 18, ,19 to rock them. I have shownone end of arm 24 pivotally connected by link; 27 to crank arm 18* of spreader 18 andsthe opposite end of arm 24 pivotally connected by link 28 to crank arm 19 of spreader 19, whereby as arm 24 is rocked the spreaders 18, 19 are rocked toward and from the receptacles in the receivers, in a successive manner; The arm 24 is shown connected with spring 29 that is connected with a suitable part of the machine, such as at 22 (Fig. '3), to operate arm 24 in one direction. The said arm is shown adapted to beoperated in an opposite direction by means of an arm 30 that is pivotally supported at 31 upon a bracket 32 carried by the main frame. The arm 30 may be rocked in any suitable manner for which purpose I have shown a crank arm 33, connected to arm 30 and to a link 34 having a projection 35 coiiperative with cam 36, such as a groove in the face of the cam member, secured upon shaft 11, whereby as said cam is rotated by said shaft the arm 30 will be by the main frame.

'rocked to cause the arm 24 to correspondingly rock spreaders 1'8, 19. Located in position above the spreaders 18, 19 is a receptacle or carton opener 37 supported to advance into and recede from the receptacles and to rock while therein to spread or square the receptacles in the receivers of the conveyer. Said opener is shown secured to a reciprocative and rocking angularly shaped rod 38 guided in a correspondingly shaped bearing 39 carried by "an arm 40 secured to a standard 41 carried The opener 37 is depressed by means of collar 42 secured on rod 38, which collar 42 is pivotally connected by means of link 43 with a rock arm 44 pivotally supported at 45. upon the main frame, which arm is pivotally connected to link 46 which may be reciprocated in any desired manner. I have shown link 46 provided with a projectlon 47 cooperative with a cam, such as a cam groove, on a cam member 48 secured upon shaft 11 (Fig. 1), whereby as said cam is rotated the link 46 will cause the arm 44 to rock to raise and lower the opener. The opener 37 is caused to swing laterally when in a receptacle A to spread or square the latter within a receiver 13, for which purpose I have shown means as follows: An arm 49 is secured to bearings'39, (Fig. 7), pivotally connected with link 50 that is pivotally connected with crank arm 51 secured upon shaft 52 jou'rnaled upon the main frame, which shaft has a crank arm 52 pivotally con nected by a link 53 with crank arm 54 se- I cured on shaft 55 journaled in the main frame. Said shaft is rocked by connection with drive shaft 11 as follows; A crank arm 56 extending from shaft 55 is pivotally connected with link 57 connected with block 58 which may be guided by shaft 11 and is cooperative with a suitable cam 59 secured upon said shaft, whereby as the cam is rotated the shaft 55 will be rocked and through link 53, shaft 52, link 50 and arm 49 the rod 38 will be rocked to swing the opener back and forth. Devices as above described for operating an opener, such as 37, are

substantially the same as those disclosed in l the application for Letters Patent for cartoning machine filed June 28, 1919, Serial No. 307,394, by E. D. Anderson.

When the conveyer comes to rest with a receptacle or carton A in a receiver beneath opener 37 the .spreaders will operate to spread flaps apart, then the opener will be lowered and the carton opened. In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the spreader 18 Will deflect the upper flap a in one'direction and the spreader 19 will deflect the upper flap a in the opposite direction, out of the plane of the receptacle (Fig. 5), the spreaders passing over the flaps a a respectively, which are shorter than the flaps a, a. Such spreading of said flaps may have the effect to slightly spread the walls of the receptacle or carton apart, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 8, ready to admit the opener conveniently into the receptacle. In the form of receptacle A shown in Figs. 10 and 13 the flaps are substantially the same length, whereby the spreaders 14 will engage flap a to deflect said flap and flap a together to one side, and spreader 19 will engage flap a and deflect said flap and flap a together on the other side. The spreaders 18, 19 are shaped in such a manner, as in curved form, as to receive the opener 37 therebetween when said spreaders have closed or a proached to deflect or spread the flaps, *igs. 6 and 13). While the spreaders 18, 19 retain the flaps deflected the opener 37 is depressed into the receptacle between the said spreaders and.

the deflected flaps. After the opener has entered said receptacle to a desired extent the spreaders 18, 19v are spread apart and returned to their inactive positions, (Fig. 3), by operation of arm 24, whereupon, when the opener has sufficiently entered the receptacle, said opener is swung to one side toward the conveyer by the operation of rod 52. Said movement of the opener causes it to bear against: one side of the receptacle to drag the outward portion of the receptacle against the adjacent member 13" of the receiver, causing the receptacle to be squared and nested in the receiver with the opener adjacent to the conveyer, substantially as shown in Fig. 8. The opener next will be raised and restored to its initial position above the conveyer, and corresponding operations of the spreaders and opener will occur with each receptacle A brought to rest below the opener.

By means of my improved flap spreaders which operate together upon flaps on different sides of the receptacles in the receivers, said receptacles are retained in proper position in the receivers in a sort of balanced man ner to readily receive the opener as the latter is depressed toward the receptacles. In accordance with my improvements the entry of the opener into the receptacles in an expeditious and accurate manner is assured.

After the'receptacles have been squared in the receivers the lower flaps of the receptacles may be closed and adhesive applied to the flaps for sealing them. Any suitable means may be provided for said purpose. In the example illustrated the depressed tongue-like portion 14* of the guide-way 14 for the receptacles is in position toencounter a lower flap of the receptacles to close them as they travel, and a lower flapcloser 60, pivotally supported at 61 upon the main frame, may be suitably actuated to en gage a lower flap to fold it within the previously folded flap just before the latter is folded by the portion 14". The closer 60 may be rocked by a crank arm 62 connected to shaft 61 and pivotally connected by link 63 with a crank arm 64 on shaft 55, whereby as the latter is rocked the said closer will be I rocked in correspondence with the operation of the opener 37. At 65 are rollers journaled to dip into a receptacle 66 supported on the main frame and adapted to contain adhesive to apply the same'to lower unfolded flaps of the receptacles, which roller may be operated by a belt and pulley driven from shaft 11 ig. 1), whereby thesurfaces of said unfolded flaps are gummed. Continued movement of the receptacles with the conveyer may bring said flaps into engagement with folders 67 to encounter said flaps causing them to be folded against the lower first folded flaps to seal said flaps. The flap folders and adhesive applying means de- .scribed are substantially the same as those set forth in the aforesaid application.

Collapsed receptacles may be fed to the receivers of the conveyer in any suitable manner. I have illustrated means for successively feeding the receptacles to said receivers which are substantially the same as set forth in the aforesaid application, and arranged as follows: A magazine 68 containing said receptacles is supported upon the main frame and provided with an ejector 69, supported in the guides 70, adapted to pass under the receptacles to push the lowermost receptacle from the stack. The ejector may be operated in timed relation to the steps of the conveyer bylink 71 operated by rod 72 actuated by cam 73 secured upon shaft 11, as in the application aforesaid. The receptacles delivered from the magazine are adapted to be deposited upon a transferring device shown having spaced fingers 74 (Fig. 2), carried by a bar 75 that is secured to a rock shaft 76 journaled in bearings 77, which shaft has a crank arm pivotally connected by link 78 with crank arm 62 (Fig. 1). When theffingers 74 are raised the receptacle thereon will be moved so that its lower edge willbe deposited upon the curved guide 79 terminating over a receiver of the conveyer. Guide 79 may be within a guard or housing 80 supported upon the main frame. The receptacle will be caused to slide endwise into the receiver of the con- 5 veyer therebeneath.

The timing of the parts will be such that each-time the conveyer comes to rest a receptacle will be deposited in a receiver, with the lower flaps resting upon the guideway 14 and the upper flaps projecting above the receiver, the receptacles being deposited in the receivers successively. Each time the conveyer comes to rest the spreaders 18, 19 will operate to deflect upper flaps of the receptacles laterally in opposite directions, and the opener 37 will operate to enter the receptacles, open or square them in the receivers and recede therefrom and thereafter the lower flaps of the receptacles will be closed and sealed, the operations occurring in successive manner.

My improvements are useful in connection with any desired means for charging receptacles, for closing their flaps, and for delivery of the charged and sealed receptacles from the machine, although I have chosen for illustration parts substantiall as set forth in the aforesaid application. t will be understood, however, that my "improvements may be usedfor opening receptacles in connection with any suitable means for feeding the colla sed receptacles to their support and for per orming any desired operations in connection with the opened receptacles, or for opening collapsed receptacles having flaps which can be charged and sealed by hand operation. It also will be understood that my improvements are not limited to the details of construction set forth regarding them as the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is p 1. The combination of means to support receptacles having flaps, a flap spreader movable laterally to engage flaps of re ceptacles to deflect them, means to operate the spreader, an opener toenter the receptacle, and means to operate the opener to open the receptacle within said support.

2. The combination 'of a conveyer having receivers for receptacles having flaps, means to support and operate said conveyer, a flap spreader movable laterally to deflect the flaps, an opener, and means to move the opener into and out of the receptacles to cause it to open the receptacles in the receivers. v

3. The combination of means to support receptacles having flaps, flap spreaders movable toward and from different flaps of the receptacles to deflect said flaps in opposite directions, means to operate the spreaders, an opener. to enter the receptacles, and means to operate the opener to cause it to open the receptacles.

4. The combination of a support for receptacles having flaps, flap spreaders operative in opposite directions to deflect flaps of the receptacles, means to operate the spreaders toward and from said flaps, an opener to enter the receptacles, and means to operate the opener to open the receptacles.

5. The combination of means to support receptacles having flaps, flap spreaders mov ably supported on opposite sidesof said receptacle support, means to cause said means to operate the opener to open said receptacles.

6. The combination of a conveyer having receivers for receptacles, means to support and operate the. conveyer, flap spreaders operative over the conveyer to engage flaps of said receptacles to deflect said flaps, means to operate said spreaders toward and from said flaps of said receptacles, an opener to enter the receptacles, means movably supporting the opener to cause it to pass between the spreaders to-enterthe receptacles, and means to operate the opener within the receptacles to open them in the receivers.

7. The combination of a conveyer having receivers for receptacles, means to support and operate the conveyer, flap spreaders piv otally supported on opposite sides of. the path of the receptacles, an opener above the path of the receptacles adapted to pass between said spreaders to enter the receptacles, means to operate the spreaders to deflect flaps of the receptacles and recede therc from, and means to operate the opener to pass between the spreadersinto the receptacles and to open the receptacles in the receivers and recede therefrom.

8. The combination of means to support receptacles having flaps, spreaders for said flaps movably supported on opposite sides of the receptacles to engage flaps thereof, an arm operativcly connected with said spreaders, means to rock said arm to cause the spreaders to engage and recede from said flaps for deflecting the same, an opener to enter the receptacles, and means to operate the opener to open said receptacles in said supporting means.

9. The combination of means to support receptacles having flaps, spreaders for said flaps pivotally supported on opposite sides of said supporting means to engage said flaps to deflect them, arms connected with said spreaders, links connected with said arms, means to operate said links to cause the spreaders to approach and recede from said flaps, an opener to enter the receptacles between the spreaders, and means to operate the opener to open the receptacles in said supporting means.

v 10. The combination of means to support receptacles having flaps, with means to deflect the flaps of said receptacles, and means to open said receptacles.

11. The combination of means to support receptacles having flaps, means to deflect the flaps of said receptacles by pressing on ad jacent flaps, and means to open said receptacles. I

12. The combination of means to support receptacles having flaps, means to spread the flaps at one end of the receptacles in opposite directions, an opener to enter said receptacles, and means to operate the opener to open the receptacles within said support.

13. The combination of means to support receptacles having flaps, with means to dereceptacles having flaps, means to deflect flect opposing flaps together to one side of 10 the flaps at one end of the receptacles in the reflector, and means to open the recepopposite directions, an opener to enter the tacles. i -5 receptacles between said deflected flaps, and Signed at New York, in the county of means to operate the openerto open the re- Queens and State of New York, this 11th ceptacles within said support. day of November, A. D. 1919.

14. The combinationof means to support CARL BECKMANN. 

